Best Budget phone 2016? – Lenovo K4 Note VS Letv Le 1S

The smartphone industry is growing rapidly and we have WAY more budget phones than flagships. And its not surprising at all because the majority of people dont prefer emptying their pockets just on a phone.

So out of a mountain of budget phones, which is the one for you? Well, here we have a comparison between two of the best pocket friendly beasts – the Lenovo K4 Note vs the Letv Le 1S

First, lets do away with the specifications once and for all. (In case you care)

Lenovo K4 Note: Rs.11999

Display: 5.5 Inches 1920×1080 (401 PPI) with Gorilla glass 3

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop

CPU: Mediatek 1.3GHz Octa-core

RAM: 3 GB

Storage: 16 GB with micro SD slot

Camera: 13 MP back, 5 MP front

Fingerprint sensor: Yes

Battery: 3300 mAh non-removable

Letv Le 1S: Rs.10999

Display: 5.5 Inches 1920×1080 (401 PPI) with Gorilla glass 3

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop with EUI 5.5 skin

CPU: Mediatek 2.2GHz Octa-core (Helio X10)

RAM: 3 GB

Storage: 32 GB (NO micro SD slot)

Camera: 13 MP back, 5 MP front

Fingerprint sensor: Yes

Battery: 3000 mAh non-removable

So we can see that neither one of these is a slouch when it comes to raw specs, but how do they really perform in day to day life and which is better for you? Let’s find out!

Build Quality

The Lenovo K4 Note comes in with metallic edges, and a plastic removable back cover which can be used to access the SIM card slot and the micro SD slot. The build is very sturdy and comfortable in the hand. On the other hand, even though the Letv 1s is cheaper, it has a full unibody metallic design which feels very premium so the 1s is a clear winner in terms of build quality

Performance

Both are absolute beasts when it comes to basic daily tasks, like opening apps, scrolling, sliding etc. Multitasking is great thanks to the 3 Gigs of RAM on both the handsets and there is barely any lag or glitching in the UI

Gaming and Multimedia

Lenovo decided to go with a slightly underpowered processor this time with the K4 Note and there are too many pixels for it to push while gaming, resulting in minor hiccups here and there. So if you consider yourself a gamer, Le 1S is the one for you because there’s no lag while gaming whatsoever.

Talking about the multimedia experience, the K4 Note offers front facing speakers and it is the first phone ever to boast Dolby Atmos. The Le 1S isnt bad either, but the K4 clearly wins the cake here and is much better for music and movies.

Display, Camera and other features

Both have identical displays with the same screen size, same resolution and identical viewing angles. So both the devices have got you covered in that department.

The 13MP front camera is also pretty much the same on both, with similar colour reproduction and clarity. It’s the same story for the 5MP back camera as well.

Another important feature on both the handsets is the fingerprint scanner. Both are equally accurate and offer similar unlocking times so again, no clear winner.

Software and UI

If you’re a stock Android fanatic, then the K4 Note should definitely be your choice because the 1S is heavily skinned with EUI 5.5 and the Note offers a near-stock build with very minor icon and design changes which can be fixed with a launcher.

Battery Life

Again, both the Note and 1S offer great battery lives but the former has a tad bigger battery at 3300mAh while the latter, a 3000mAh. You do get a couple extra hours out of the Note and it might help you in getting through a heavy-usage day.

Conclusion

Overall, we think both phones compete heavily and beat each other in one or the other department. But considering the 1S is a thousand rupees cheaper, it gets a win in our book!

Hopefully, you enjoyed this quick review of the two devices. Let us know in the comments below if you have any sort of query, we’ll be more than happy to help. Cheers!

About Tekh Decoded

Tekh Decoded is a online magazine focused on computing, electronics and mechanical gadgets. We also cover tech events, smartphones, new arrivals, comparisons and reviews.

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